I have traveled to Labor Day events – Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Ohio, Michigan and Wisconsin – five states in less than 72 hours – to rally our members.

Could I have used commercial flights to meet those tight schedules?

Not really.

They don’t always fly where I need to go, when I need to be there, and with a quick return flight scheduled.

They often don’t have connections to the smaller communities where our members live and work.

And they are never as cost-effective as Eleven Alpha Mike.

Time is money — and that is a hard fact of life for both business and labor.

In these days of heightened security, even an hour long commercial flight can become a three to four hour time commitment.

If I were a lawyer — and thank God that I am not — those extra hours would be billed to some client, some where.

But for most business travelers, standing in security lines, sitting near gates, emplaning, deplaning, picking up luggage and hailing a cab — well, it’s just money down the drain.

Oh, I know what the public image of business jets is: fancy toys for fat cats.

I watched Members of Congress play GOTCHA with General Motors executives.

I watched Senators grandstand on the use of business jets.

I watched as the President of the United States took shots at this industry.

And then, I watched as thousands Machinists Union members were laid off because the politicians wanted to score some points at our expense.

Well, I’ve got some advice for those paragons of public virtue … those who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.

The congressman who nailed General Motors flew a private jet into Washington that very day.

The senators who climbed up on their soapboxes to decry business jets didn’t bat an eye as they climbed aboard one to fly off to their next fundraiser.

And the President — well, let’s just say he owes us a visit to Wichita and leave it at that for a few minutes.

Frankly, this industry is too vital to America’s success to allow the anger, passion and provocations of the moment to last.

We — as a team — need to keep hammering away at some very basic facts.

Business aviation supports more than one point two million jobs in the United States!

Its combined payroll exceeds 53 billion dollars each year.

And business aviation generates more that 150 billion dollars in economic output each year.

Business aviation manufacturers added 5.9 billion dollars to America’s export revenue last year – producing one of the few positive signs in our trade balance.

Those are impressive numbers.

But numbers are not the life blood of this industry. People are.

Let us not forget just how impressive our people really are.

Let’s use our political and economic clout.

Let’s put our muscle and manpower where our money flows.

Each year, the business aircraft industry spends …

18 billion dollars in California

11 billion dollars in Texas

7.5 billion in Florida

8.7 billion in Georgia

6 billion dollars in Pennsylvania

Another 6 billion dollars in Illinois

7 billion in Kansas

9.3 billion dollars in New York

Let’s work to get the highest levels of our government to speak one little truth:

BUSINESS AVIATION IS VITAL TO AMERICA’S ECONOMIC RECOVERY.

Let’s team up to get those eight words in the next State of the Union Address — OR — its rebuttal.

I’ve started our campaign.

Back in September, when President Barack Obama appeared before the AFL-CIO Convention in Pittsburgh, I used my one opportunity — and a very brief opportunity at that — to invite him to see the man-made devastation in Wichita.

He said that the White House would get back to me.

The Machinist Union is pressing hard for that visit.

And with your help, I believe we CAN make that visit happen.

As part of a team, you and I CAN make that happen.

We can get the White House to make that fact-finding mission.

And here’s how:

Before you leave here today, I want you to dial 202-546-1414.

That’s the White House switch board.

I am asking you to call 202-546-1414.

Leave a message for Rahm Emanuel, the Chief of Staff.

Make it brief.

Make it business-like.

But make it clear that, as a member of the National Business Aviation Association, you believe it is imperative that President Barack Obama visit Wichita.

Make it clear to him that the fate of this uniquely American industry hangs in the balance.

But MAKE THAT CALL.

Again, the number is 202-456-1414.

The White House switchboard is waiting for your call.

That’s step one.

Step two is getting those eight words into the next State of the Union Address — or its rebuttal.

What were those words again?

Write them down.

BUSINESS AVIATION IS VITAL TO AMERICA’S ECONOMIC RECOVERY.

That will take a little more team work.

All those states I mentioned a few minutes ago – the one’s where this industry spends more than six billion dollars a year – well, the governors and senators of those states should receive a visit from our team.

After Thanksgiving and before Christmas, the White House speech writers will be busy crafting that State of the Union Address.

We need those big state governors and senators to drop a brief note to Jonathan Favreau, President Barack Obama’s Director of Speechwriting.

He is the youngest person to serve in that capacity. And he is an accomplished writer and is credited with popularizing “YES WE CAN.”

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